Archived News: In Research and Intervention
February 2011

A new study reveals statistics on rates of service use by young adults with autism.

While much focus of research has been on how to meet the needs of young children with ASD, research in the area of adults has not been as prevalent. Paul Shattuck and his research associates from Washington University in St. Louis have released a one of a kind study, “Post–High School Service Use Among Young Adults With an Autism Spectrum Disorder” in the February 2011 edition of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. The goal of the study was to produce nationally representative estimates of rates of service use (mental health services, case management, speech therapy, etc.) among young adults with ASD within their first few years after leaving high school. The researchers then went one step further and looked at correlations between rates of service use and other factors such as race and income. These types of statistics are the first step in understanding the needs and concerns of people with ASD as they transition from school services to adulthood.

An online learning module for parents is now available from The Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at the UC Davis MIND Institute

One of the goals of the Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities is to provide educational resources on developmental disabilities to the community. In doing so, the latest addition to their free, online training series is ADEPT, Autism Distance Education Parent Training Interactive Learning. ADEPT is a 10-lesson interactive, self-paced, online learning module. Within this module, parents are provided tools and training to more effectively teach their child with autism using Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) techniques.

New Research to Practice Brief from The Institute for Community Inclusion: Youth with Autism and Vocational Rehabilitation

Increasing numbers of youth with autism are accessing Vocational Rehabilitations (VR) services. It is important to know how individuals are using these services and the relationship of these services to outcomes and costs. This Research to Practice Brief examines the differences in VR services used by young adults with autism compared to young adults with other disabilities. Researchers identify services that are most closely associated with employment outcomes and what the percentage of individuals who are using such services. Youth with autism are more likely than youth from other disability groups to receive assessment, job-placement, and on-the-job support services. These services are associated with a successful employment outcome.

National Autism Center develops a manual on evidence-based practice and autism

National Autism Center develops a manual on evidence-based practice and autism. Evidence-Based Practice and Autism in the Schools: A Guide to Providing Appropriate Interventions to Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

The National Autism Center’s mission is to advocate for evidence-based practice and to assist front-line interventionists as they select and implement the most effective research-supported treatments for ASD. Keeping up with research is challenging, all professionals are obligated to do so in order to provide the most appropriate and effective services to the students with autism. In fact, federal legislation regulating the provision of services in schools is filled with references about the need to employ research-supported treatments (Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, 2004; No Child Left Behind, 2002). The National Autism Center has developed a manual as a means of promoting evidence-based practice for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in the schools. Why? Because evidence-based practice is in the best interest of the student and it is most likely to produce positive outcomes with this population. The information presented in the national Autism Center's manual is meant for all “front-line” interventionists who work in school settings.

National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders offers briefs on evidence-based practices

Twenty-four evidence-based practices have been identified for children and youth with ASD. The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders has made available on its website briefs on these practices including a general description of the practice and how it can be used with learners with autism spectrum disorders. Also provided are explicit step-by-step directions detailing how to implement a practice, based on the research articles identified in the evidence base. Visit the website to review the briefs that are available on topics such as Functional Behavior Assessment, Functional Communication Training, Parent-Implemented Interventions, Peer-Mediated Instruction and Intervention, Prompting, Reinforcement, Response Interruption/Redirection, Self-Management, and many more.